Mounting for piano-keys.



No. 669,729. Patented Mar. I2, I90l. r. w. HEDGELAND.

MOUNTING FOR PIANO KEYS.

(Applicntion filed Nov. 17, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATE-s Tartar @nmcin.

FREDERICK W. HEDGELAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOUNTING FOR PiAN=KEY$ SPECTFICATKON forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,729, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed November 17,1900. Serial lie. 36,838.

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, FREDERICK W. HEDGE- LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mountings for Piano- Keys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a mounting for pianoforte keys and like musical instruments, and has for its object to provide an arrangement of this character that will prevent the free action or movement of the keys from being aliected by atmospheric changes. It is well known that when the atmosphere is charged with excessive moisture, as in damp Weather, the keys have a tendency to stick, and a free action is thus prevented, often causing great annoyance and temporarily disabling the instrument. Under the ordinary arrangement when the wooden keylever absorbs moisture the walls inclosing the pins swell and exert a side pressure on the pins, which are usually oval in cross-see tion, and cause the keys to stick or cramp.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken-away side elevation of a key, the supporting base-rails being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a bearing-sleeve. Fig. lis a similar view looking at the opposite end of the sleeve, and Fig. 5 is a plan section of the same.

A represents a piano-key of the usual form; B, the center rail of the supportingframe, in which the key tulcrum-pin a is mounted; O, the front rail, in which the movement-pin D is fixed, and b the usual flexible cushion-seat, on which the front end of the key-lever strikes.

The key is provided with a chamber or recess 6, starting in from the under side and stopping short of the top, as more particularly shown in Fig. 2. The movement or guide pin D projects into this chamber and is surrounded by a sleeve 7, seated in said chamber and rigidly secured in place by screws or other suitable fastening devices,

exact description of No model.)

inserted through holes 8 in the stop-flange 9, forming a part of the sleeve. The sleeve is elongated, as shown, and is provided in one end with vertical companion slots 10, across which the integral spurs ll extend, as shown in Fig. The other end of the sleeve is provided with companion slots 12, Fig.

The interior sides of the sleeve are provided with a flexible or soft lining l8, usually of felt or other suitable material. This lining is usually in the form of strips of suitable length and width, the respective ends of which are first inserted through slots 12 from the outside and then carried along and drawn out through the spur-guarded slots 11, the spurs yielding for the passage of the lining, the terminal ends of which may be secured together in any suitable manner, as shown at l t, Fig. 5. As the lining is rove through it is drawn taut on the bridge-piece 15, between slots 12, and is engaged by the spurs 11, causing the lining to adhere closely to the inner sides of the sleeve, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. By this means the lining is secured in place without the use of glue or adhesive composition to harden the surfaces having contact with the bearing-surfaces of the movement-pin. The lining has contact with the opposite sides of the key-pin, Fig. 2, and providesa cushion-bearing, which always retains the key in its proper position, provides fora free up-and-down movement of the same, and prevents the keys from crowding laterally against each other. This sleeve arrangement not only provides a uniform bearing-guide for the movement-pin, but prevents an inward pressure on the same when the key-lever expands, as it will naturally enlarge in the direction of the least resistance, which is outwardly from both sides. Under the ordinary arrangement the key is provided with a chamber or mortise-recess lined with some suitable soft fabric, which is secured to the walls of the chamber by an adhesive composition, usually glue, a fair proportion of which is absorbed by the fabric and when set presents a hard bearing-surface for the contact of the movement-pin even under normal conditions and which is aggravated when the key-lever is expanded from natural causes, as the lateral expansion will be equal in both directions and will necessarily have a tendency to pinch and bind the keys just sufficiently to interfere with a free action thereof.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination With a piano-key, of a sleeve, inserted therein and provided with slots through which a sort of flexible lining may be drawn, and means for retaining said lining in place, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a pianokey, of a sleeve, seated therein, and provided at opposite points With slots, a felt lining drawn through the slots, and a number ofspurs, traversing one or more of said slots and engaging said lining, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the keys of a piano or like musical instrument, of a metallic sleeve, recessed in the under side thereof and provided with a number of slots, a cushionlining, inserted in the sleeve by being drawn through the slots, the spurs, extending across one or more of said slots and engaging said lining, and means for retaining the sleeve in place, substantially as described.

a. The combination with a piano-key, of an elongated sleeve, recessed therein and provided in opposite ends with a number of slots, a felt lining, inserted in the sleeve by being drawn through the slots therein, and means, other than an adhesive composition, for securing said lining in place, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a piano-key, of a sleeve, recessed in the under side thereof and provided with a number of slots, the spurs, guarding one or more of said slots, a lining, inserted in the sleeve and retained therein by said spurs, the guide-pin, and the rail, in which the same is mounted, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FREDERICK W. HEDGELAND. l/Vitnesses:

L. M. FREEMAN, L. B. COUPLAND. 

